A network administrator for an organization faces great challenges in controlling the types of applications that users in the organization deploy on client computers connected into the organization's network environment. Because the running of “unauthorized” software exposes the organization to productivity losses, bandwidth losses, and increased support costs, it would be beneficial be able to prevent some, or all of these problems.
However, it is inherently difficult to prevent users from downloading and installing software on their own computers. The vast majority of client computers on corporate local area networks also have access to the Internet, making it nearly impossible to prevent users from downloading software from a web site on the Internet. While installation of unauthorized software can be prevented through access control rules provided by some operating systems, most corporate client computers run operating systems that do not manage users according to local access control rules and thus it is not possible to prevent the user from installing the unauthorized software on such computers.